Every week, people reach out to me after stumbling across platforms that feel a little off. One email I received stood out. A supporter of my YouTube channel named “Anonymous” contacted me and asked if I’d ever looked into a new platform called Vidme.io.

According to him, it was being pitched as a social media platform in pre-launch, set to go live on June 1, and came with claims that users could get paid just for watching videos.

He compared it to Amazon’s affiliate program — except it had three tiers of commission, a 25% check-matching bonus, and, perhaps most tellingly, was founded by an Amway Diamond turned pastor named Mike Popovich.

“Anonymous” also revealed that Vidme started under the name Social Goats and recently rebranded. That caught my attention, especially since Vidme was also the name of a defunct video hosting site from several years ago. He sent me the affiliate sign-up link, the income estimator video, and copies of their affiliate documents. From that moment, the red flags were waving.

It reminded me a lot of VidiLook — another platform where people were duped into thinking watching videos would generate real income. That’s when I started digging.

Intro: The “social media” that smells like MLM

Vidme.io presents itself as the first platform where “everyone gets paid to participate.” It claims to empower creators and reward members for simply watching, sharing, and engaging. But peel back the glossy interface, and you’ll find an all-too-familiar scheme: a three-tier MLM structure, exaggerated income claims, and a recycled brand name with no real product.

Behind the curtain are two names worth knowing: Mike Popovich, a former Amway Diamond turned online pastor, and Chris Miller, the man behind Fit Soda. Together, they are using faith-based influence, referral hype, and gamified marketing to funnel users into a pay-to-play pyramid.

Who’s really behind Vidme.io?

Mike Popovich is known for his prosperity-style messaging through Freedom Ministries. Before that, he built his wealth in Amway — one of the most infamous MLM organizations out there. His experience in network marketing is unmistakable, and it shows in how Vidme is structured.

Chris Miller, on the other hand, is the CEO of Koios Beverage Corp. and founder of Fit Soda. But what most people don’t know is that he’s also a recovering drug addict who admits to having gone bankrupt twice. In a Podcast Interview, Chris reveals his journey from addiction and financial collapse to building a publicly traded company — and now co-founding Vidme.io. The same sales aggression that got him into financial products and energy drinks is now being repackaged into this social media pitch.

He even admits to once using tactics like refusing to leave a store unless someone signed up — a style that reeks of high-pressure MLM salesmanship. This isn’t a side note. It’s central to how Vidme is being marketed: aggressively, emotionally, and with a promise of redemption and riches.

A closer look at the membership and affiliate model

Vidme asks its users to pay $34.99 per month for access to a dashboard of digital tools and vague content. But what they’re really selling is access to an earning opportunity — one that sounds eerily familiar to anyone who’s studied MLM structures.

They pitch it as a simple affiliate plan, but in reality, it’s a tiered compensation system that rewards recruitment over content creation. Here’s the pitch: refer one person and earn 20%. Get two people, and unlock commissions on their referrals too. Bring in ten, and you qualify for a 25% check match on everything those people make.

This isn’t content monetization. This is a recruitment funnel with residuals. It’s multi-level marketing in disguise — and they know it.

Fantasy income, real deception

Their YouTube video, titled “A Closer Look At Earnings Estimator On Vidme,” walks users through scenarios that would make any struggling content creator perk up. If you recruit just one person a month for a year, and each of them does the same, you’re supposedly making $2,754 a month. If you’re a little more active, they say $18,000 a month is within reach. And if you happen to be an influencer with a loyal following? Well, then you’re looking at $62,000 per month or more.

But none of this is backed by actual data. There’s no mention of user retention, refund rates, or churn. It’s all hypothetical — a fantasy dressed up as a roadmap.

Worse, there are no income disclaimers in the video. Nothing to indicate that these earnings are exceptional or even possible. That’s not just unethical. It may be illegal.

The fine print: privacy and billing concerns

Luminus Media, LLC — the entity behind Vidme.io — keeps its legal footprint vague. Digging into their privacy policy reveals troubling language: they track user behavior extensively, store payment information for auto-renewals, and give you just three days to cancel if you want a refund.

There’s no mention of GDPR compliance, no PCI DSS certification, and no meaningful way to manage your data without emailing support.

In other words, once they’ve got your information — and your money — you’re on their terms.

The social media illusion

On YouTube, Vidme has just over 1.3K subscribers and a modest 41,000 views across 31 videos. That wouldn’t be a red flag on its own — if they weren’t also claiming to work with “some of the world’s best teachers, artists, and podcasters.”

But where are they? There are no recognizable names. No signed partnerships. Just vague references and hype-heavy language meant to inflate their credibility.

Their Instagram and Facebook pages aren’t any better. Low engagement. Sparse content. No signs of a thriving community — just another piece of the illusion.

And then there’s the video on their homepage. It’s barely 90 seconds long, and yet it struggled to play without buffering. For a company supposedly built around streaming content and empowering video creators, this technical failure is more than ironic — it’s revealing. If they can’t stream a single clip cleanly, what kind of platform are they really running?

The real story

Vidme.io wants you to believe it’s the future of the creator economy. In reality, it’s a faith-wrapped, funnel-driven hustle built on exaggerated claims, multi-tier commissions, and the resurrection of a long-dead brand name.

There’s no sustainable product. No transparency. Just a lot of talk about getting paid — if you can convince others to pay first.

If you signed up, were recruited, or lost money through this scheme, we want to hear your story.

The truth is out. And the scammers hate it.

About the Author Danny de Hek, also known as The Crypto Ponzi Scheme Avenger, is a New Zealand-based investigative journalist specializing in exposing crypto fraud, Ponzi schemes, and MLM scams. His work has been featured by Bloomberg, The New York Times, The Guardian Australia, ABC News Australia, and other international outlets.

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